SPIKE IN AUSSIE WORKING HOLIDAY VISAS

Date 10.09.2013 According to figures from the Department for Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), there is an increase of 7 percent in the applications for Australian working holiday visas in the 12 months to the end of June.

The figures show that foreigners applying for second working holiday visas went up by 28.5 percent over the same period. Australia is known as one of the most popular gap year destinations for young people and those aged 18 to 30 to apply for working holiday visas. Young Australian visa applicants from Belgium, Canada, the Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK can apply for these kinds of visas as they have reciprocal agreements.

Australia is a preferred destination to British youngsters with a total of 41,712 Australian working holiday visas issued in 2011, including 35,700 first working holiday visas, and 6,012 second working holiday visas.

The DIAC, however, worries about the fraudulent methods young travellers are using to extend their working holiday visas. The DIAC has cancelled 1,059 working holiday visas at the rate of about one a day since 2009. Of the 1,059 applicants whose visa extensions were cancelled by the Australian immigration authorities after investigation, 38 percent were from South Korea, 22 percent from Ireland and 20 percent from the UK.